


Under the Desert Sky: Jedi June Snippets

by pallorsomnium



Series: Under the Desert Sky [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Gen, Guardians of the Whills, Introspection, Jedha, Jedi Appreciation, Jedi Culture Respected, Jedi June, Kyber Crystals, Meditation, Mentioned Qui-Gon Jinn, Mentioned Yoda, Self-Doubt, Shared Culture between Jedi and Guardians, Temple of Kyber
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:21:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24982996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pallorsomnium/pseuds/pallorsomnium
Summary: Four snippets written to answer the prompts from Jedi June, set in my WIP Under the Desert Sky.Qui-gon survives the duel on Naboo, though Obi-wan is still the one to kill Maul. Following these events, uncertain of his place, Obi-wan undergoes his Trials and decides to become a Jedi Ranger. First though, he is given the opportunity to replace his lost lightsaber with a crystal from the crystal caves of Jedha.
Relationships: Chirrut Îmwe & Baze Malbus, Grandmaster Lu (OC) & Sssanttu (OC)
Series: Under the Desert Sky [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808338
Comments: 11
Kudos: 288





	1. Lightsaber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Jedi June Sunday, June 7th prompt "Lightsaber."

It has been fourteen years since Obi-wan’s pilgrimage to Ilum, since the Gathering with his crechemates. His lightsaber crystal had served him well in those fourteen years, even after he’d given it up for a time during Melida/Daan. Losing his lightsaber to the melting pits beneath Naboo’s palace had felt a bit like losing a part of him, and he still misses his crystal’s particular resonance in the Force, its absence leaving him slightly unbalanced.

He had gone through his Trials with a borrowed saber, but now, it is time for him to find not a  _ replacement _ per se, but a  _ new _ crystal. It’s not entirely unexpected, he has told himself; many Jedi find themselves changing their lightsaber early in their knighthood or after achieving mastery. Kyber crystals grow with Jedi, but sometimes, crystal and Jedi grow apart. Obi-wan is simply getting a new lightsaber sooner than most -- and not from Ilum as he’d expected, but from  _ Jedha. _

It’s strange, but no less an honor as he’d told Master Yoda, to be standing underneath the depths of the Temple of Kyber, the first Jedi to do so in what has to be centuries if not millenia. Instead of standing before a wall of ice, he stands at the mouth of a pitch black passageway. 

Chirrut and Baze, the two Guardians who have guided him here, tell him there is light further in, just not visible from the outside. They tell him the crystal caves of the Temple of Kyber are a maze of corridors, and chambers, and tunnels, just like the caves of Ilum. And just like the caves of Ilum, he must trust the Force to lead the way in and out and to his crystal. He wonders how that works for the Guardians when they do their Gatherings; not all of them are Force-sensitive. But that is a question for later. 

He turns to Chirrut and Baze, who give him a smile and a nod, respectively, and he nods in return before turning back to the entry into the caves. He takes a deep breath, centering himself before actively reaching out into the Force.

The Force on Jedha is  _ ancient _ , heavy and profound, and yet so warm. Standing where he is, he also feels the collective presence of all those who’d travelled into the caves, some as recent as Chirrut and Baze, others as long ago as the  _ Jedi _ who’d once shared the Temple. 

Following in their footsteps, he steps into the passageway.

Darkness surrounds him almost immediately, blocking even the light from where he’d come from. He isn’t alarmed though, as he takes slow, measured steps forward; he puts his trust in the Force.

_ I am one with the Force and the Force is with me _ .

The Force flows through him, around him, connecting him to the world and everything in it, even if he cannot physically see right now. And in the distance, he hears the singing of the crystals, and somewhere in that chorus,  _ his _ crystal sings.

As he walks forward, the darkness fades and ambient light fills the tunnel he finds himself within. Soon, crystals reveal themselves, embedded into the walls, ceiling, and floor, just like on Ilum, though these crystals are curiously larger in size. None of them sing the particular melody that calls to him.

He keeps walking, following the Force and his crystal’s pull through a large cavern, down a narrow corridor, through one chamber and then another. 

He is tested, just as he had known he would be, but expecting it makes it no easier. 

( _ He nearly didn’t become a padawan. Is he truly meant to be a Jedi Knight? -- He left the Order before; he gave up his lightsaber before. Will he do it again? -- His Master put him forward for the Trials only so he could take on a new padawan. Is he truly meant to be a Jedi Knight? -- He fought the Sith in anger and lost his lightsaber, his crystal. Does he deserve another?) _

He  _ sees _ things too, visions vivid in ways he hasn’t seen in years.

( _ A heavily damaged space outpost -- a blue-skinned Toydarian -- a statue of a pirate queen -- a mumuu skull painted with red lines -- rows and rows of men in identical white armor -- a Mandalorian in blue and silver armor, reliability and mourning-- _ )

In his confusion, he stumbles into a sandpit and finds himself sinking before he can step back out. He reaches futilely for the edge, a wave of panic overcoming him before he remembers the Force, which whispers to him that no harm will come to him. 

He relaxes -- 

And falls through the sand into a small cave. There,  _ there  _ in a small natural pocket in the wall sprouts his crystal, singing a tune of woodwinds and hallikset into the Force. He smiles and can’t help whisper a greeting as he reaches for it. 

The crystal slips easily from its spot and falls into his hands. It’s clear, not yet attuned to him, and almost large enough to cover his palm --  _ too  _ large for a lightsaber. 

Then he blinks, staring as the crystal splits neatly into two. Both halves glow faintly as he feels familiar bonds form. He is meant, it seems, for  _ two  _ lightsabers.

* * *

“The crystal is the heart of the blade,” he murmurs. “The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. We are one.” 

Eyes closed, he holds out a hand, feeling out the connection between him, his two crystals, and the parts lifted into the air before him. 

The Guardians had given him the use of a meditation room with a workbench. They had also given him a massive chest, inside which he had discovered _lightsaber_ _parts_ , old but well cared for and fully functional. Grateful for the Guardians’ generosity, Obi-wan had selected the parts meant for his lightsabers. 

With his crystals attuned to him, each glowing a familiar sky blue, it is now time to build his lightsabers. The parts of his lightsabers fall into place around each crystal smoothly, coming together with the guidance of the Force as if he’s already done the task multiple times before.

He holds out both hands, allowing a saber hilt to settle into each. Since he was a youngling, the weight of a lightsaber has always felt right in his hand. Now, as a Knight, he holds two, and they too feel right. 

He powers on the sabers, identical blue blades emerging with twin hums of plasma and the twin singing of his crystals. 

_ This weapon is your life _ , many masters have said to him. He knows, one day, he will say the same to a padawan, but for now, with however many years of wandering the galaxy ahead of him, he reminds himself that  _ these weapons _ are his life, and he will use them to protect all those who cannot protect themselves. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun imagining what Jedha's crystal caves must be like! In this 'verse, the Guardians go through their own version of the Gathering to build their lightbows, which I'll explore more in the main story I believe.


	2. Teaching\Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Jedi June Saturday, June 13th prompt "Teaching/Learning." (It also in a way fulfills the Sunday, June 14th prompt "The Force.")   
> In this snippet, Obi receives some guidance.

Obi-wan eventually finds his way to what looks like the Temple’s planetarium, its interior reminiscent of the one in the Jedi Temple, though not quite as large or richly decorated. 

The planetarium had always been one of his favorite places in the Jedi Temple. He had loved the Room of a Thousand Fountains and the Aquatic Levels Tunnel just as much, but the planetarium was where he’d gone to be  _ alone _ . It’s where he’d go after an argument with Qui-gon, or when he couldn’t sleep at night. In the planetarium, it had always been  _ quiet  _ right when he needed it, just him and the stars. 

With a pang of regret, he realizes he hadn’t visited the room before he’d left the Jedi Temple. __

_ One day he’ll go back _ , he reminds himself.

In the here and now though, he crosses the room to the center, where a console stands. With a press of a button and a few taps on the screen, a projection of the galaxy blooms out from the ceiling and fills the room with colorful dots of light. 

He steps back from the console and looks up at the stars and planets surrounding him. It’s not quite the same as floating in space among the stars, but the feeling the projection gives him is the same. The feeling of being small, so small in the vastness of the galaxy. A reminder, that for all his struggles, they couldn’t compare to what is out there in the universe. 

Unlike times before though, the awe turns into uncertainty as despite all intentions, he identifies Coruscant on the map. Looking at that familiar planet, a planet he’d called home for so many years and has now left for however many years, he feels adrift. 

He knows this is the right path for him. He knows becoming a Ranger is what he’s meant to do. But…

Looking at the vastness of the galaxy, where does he start? Where is he  _ meant  _ to go?

A soft rumble interrupts his thoughts as the door slides open and Grandmaster Lu walks in. 

He has spoken to the Grandmaster only once before, when he had first arrived at the Temple of Kyber. He’d seen her in passing a few times since then, but this is the first time he’s seen her without her Fallithar companion, Sssanttu. 

“Grandmaster,” he greets her with a bow. 

She smiles at him before leaning against her staff and looking up at the star map projection.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she remarks. Before he can agree, she looks back at him and says, “But I sense much confusion in you, Obi-wan Kenobi. How may I help you?” 

Once again, Obi-wan is left surprised. Many of the Guardians are not Force-sensitive. The Grandmaster, he’d been told, is not Force-sensitive. And yet, the way they feel in the Force, the way they perceive things...he does not have the experience or understanding to explain it. 

Grandmaster Lu seems to catch his confusion, tilting her head and smiling at him indulgently, the way the old Jedi Masters might. 

“I’ve brought about another question, I suspect. Questions are good. Do not hesitate to ask them, for how else does one learn and grow,” she says, echoing something he has heard Master Yoda many times before. 

Because of that, he brings himself to ask, “Forgive my ignorance, Grandmaster, but most of the Guardians are not Force-sensitive, and yet, how is it that they seem as if they are?”

The Grandmaster hums and nods her head.

“We may not  _ sense _ the Force the way you can, but tell me, what  _ is _ the Force? What is it they teach you as a youngling, for I doubt even in all these years the teaching has changed.”

“The Force is...an energy field that connects all living things in the universe,” Obi-wan says. “The Force is everywhere. It surrounds us, dwells in us, flows through us.” 

“Precisely. The Force dwells in  _ all  _ living things,” Grandmaster Lu says. “Whether we can sense it or not, we  _ all  _ can use the Force, and  _ do _ use the Force. Reach out, and the Force will reach back. I, for one, may not be able to do the flashy things the Jedi can, but that’s hardly what matters, isn’t it?”

“I…” Obi-wan is at a loss. He hadn’t thought of it like that before, and yet, with the Grandmaster pointing it out, it seems so obvious. He will certainly have to reflect more on it later. “Thank you, Grandmaster,” he says, bowing his head to her. “I still have much to learn about the Force.”

“Certainly,” she replies, “but so do we all. The learning never stops. Now, tell me what is troubling you.”

Obi-wan looks away from her, looking back up at the stars projected around them.

“I am uncertain where to go, where to begin. The galaxy is so large that I felt...overwhelmed...for a moment,” he admits.

Grandmaster Lu hums and then asks, “Haven’t you already begun?”

“Sorry?”

“Your journey began the moment you left the Jedi Temple, did it not?” she asks. “Did you not choose to come to Jedha because the Force guided you here?”

“Yes…”

“And what is the role of a Jedi Ranger?”

“A Jedi Ranger travels the galaxy as...oh,” Obi-wan tries not to feel stupid as he continues, “...as guided by the Force, allowing the Force to tell them where their help is needed.”

Grandmaster Lu nods. “So look at this map, then  _ reach out _ , Jedi Ranger. What has the Force told you so far, and what does it tell you now?” 

Obi-wan does as she says, taking in the star map before closing his eyes and reaching out to the Force. Curiously, his mind travels to his vision in the crystal caves, of the damaged space outpost, before he starts walking, eyes still closed, trusting the Force to guide his footsteps through the room as he follows its pull. 

When he opens his eyes again, he finds himself practically across the room. He frowns, studying his location among the stars. He stands on the border of Hutt Space, nearly in Wild Space and clear across the galaxy from Jedha. 

_ The damaged space outpost,  _ he realizes. That  _ must _ be where he is going.

“There, now you have your direction,” the Grandmaster says.

“Thank you, Grandmaster. I should have realized…” he trails off when she shakes her head at him.

“Be mindful of your anxieties,” she gently chides him. “You saw the trees, but not the forest. You simply needed a reminder. Do not castigate yourself for it; we are not meant to be perfect.”

“Yes, Grandmaster. Thank you for your guidance,” he says, crossing to the console to turn off the star map. 

“My pleasure. Now come, let’s have tea with Sssanttu.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [How I imagine Grandmaster Lu looks like.](https://tmblr.co/ZA8J2yYUjpepeu01) She’s a near-human, who, as far as anyone knows, is immortal, though no one has identified her race or has brought themselves to ask exactly how old she is. She’s almost always seen in the company of [a spotted green-scaled Fallithar named Sssanttu](https://tmblr.co/ZA8J2yYThav4Cq00).


	3. Meditation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Jedi June Sunday, June 21st prompt "Meditation/Mindfulness."  
> Obi-wan finds that the Guardians place as much importance in morning meditations as the Jedi do.

The first morning he’s at the Temple, there’s a knock on his door just before dawn. The Guardians who’d volunteered to show him around the day before, Chirrut and Baze, stand outside the guest quarters he’s been given.

“Good morning!” greets Chirrut. “Would you like to join us for meditation?”

Obi-wan readily agrees; it has been a while since he’s meditated with anyone other than Qui-gon, and even that had been several weeks ago. With all his confusion and hurt after the Naboo crisis, he had avoided the communal meditations at the Jedi Temple, and then his Trials had come, where the meditations are done alone. And now, here he is, away from the Jedi Temple and all Jedi. 

He wonders what meditation is like with the Guardians. 

He grabs his cloak, to guard himself against the cold of Jedha, and then follows the two Guardians through a maze of hallways. 

The meditation room they take him to is large, capable of holding at least a hundred odd people. It’s also round, with smoothly curved walls and a vaulted ceiling. Slit windows let in soft beams of the dawning light, illuminating the interior just enough to see by. The tiered floor descends in increments to the center of the room, where a shallow, circular pool of water sits, its reflective surface perfectly still, the very picture of tranquility. Scattered around the room, Obi-wan sees not only Guardians, but pilgrims from across the galaxy, sitting on the bare floor or on cushions and deep in meditation. 

Chirrut and Baze lead Obi-wan across the entire room, to a spot close to the wall right under one of the windows where a Guardian around their age sits -- a friend, Obi-wan assumes. The Guardian tilts his head in their direction in greeting but otherwise keeps his eyes closed, returning to his meditation. Chirrut and Baze each take up a cushion, Baze waving Obi-wan towards the last cushion in their small cluster. 

Like countless times before, like the very first time as a youngling with his clan, he sits himself down on the cushion with crossed legs, straightens his spine, and rests his hands on his thighs. He closes his eyes and takes a slow deliberate breath, in and out. He focuses on his breathing at first, on the air moving through his nose and filling his lungs, on the rise and fall of his chest. 

Then the thoughts come, as they always do, as do the feelings they bring along with them. First, the benign ones, like wondering what the day holds for him once they’re done with meditation, what the rest of Jedha City is like, when he’ll be going to the crystal caves. Then the deeper ones, the ones that keep coming back, that he struggles with. 

_ What if he isn’t meant to be a Jedi Knight? What if he’s not good enough? Did his master  _ truly  _ mean those words of praise on Naboo?  _ Why _ isn’t he good enough? What is he thinking, leaving the temple to travel the galaxy alone? What good could he possibly do?  _

He catches himself sinking too deeply into those thoughts and takes a deep breath, in and out. He acknowledges the thoughts, the anxieties, but lets them go. He has faced them before and risen above; he will face them again and rise again. He refocuses on his breathing, distancing himself from his thoughts, like a swimmer rising back to the surface of an ocean. 

Eventually, his mind settles, peaceful and clear.  _ That’s _ when he opens himself to the Force, allowing it to fill him as he reaches out for it. He feels around him, through him, the energy that connects him to every living thing in the universe. He is but one star in the constellation of lights that make up the Force presence of all those around him. Among those in the meditation room, some shine brighter than others, but all are still very much present. Some even brush gently against him in greeting, fleeting but friendly.

Further away, far away from Jedha yet still close within the Force, he feels the collective presence of all the Jedi, many only distantly familiar, but others deeply familiar -- those who are the closest to him like Qui-gon, Master Yoda, Garen, Bant, and the rest of his friends and crechemates. 

He basks in the warmth of the Force and in the light of all those around him. 

_ I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. _

When the time feels right, he gradually lessens his connection to the Force, bringing his awareness back to himself and the physical world. With eyes still shut, he takes a moment to listen to the sounds around him: the soft breathing and murmurs, the rustling of fabric, the faint footsteps outside the room. Distantly, a low bell tolls, announcing the hour. 

Obi-wan opens his eyes to find the sun has begun to rise, washing the room in gold. The room is emptier than when they had entered, but there are still people deep in meditation. Next to him, Chirrut stirs from his own meditation. Baze and their friend must have finished much earlier, because they’re deep in conversation in what Obi-wan realizes is  _ Mandalorian  _ sign language. 

Chirrut hops to his feet, interrupting the conversation with a barely audible whisper of “Breakfast?” 

With that, Obi-wan saves his questions for later, and they quietly leave the meditation room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The unnamed Guardian is [Asha Lao](https://atelier-dayz.tumblr.com/post/619774798019559424/facecasts-for-clan-lao-for-the-people-interested) for those interested! While I'm unsure how big of a role he'll play in the main story, I know that his parents, especially his adopted Mandalorian father, will definitely have a big role to play.


	4. Letting Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Jedi June Sunday, June 28th prompt "Letting Go."  
> After about seven years of traversing the galaxy, Obi-wan has returned to Jedha.

Obi-wan returns to Jedha just before the monsoon season. He hadn’t told anyone he would be coming, so no one is waiting for him at the spaceport. When he’d left Jedha, he had known he would return; he just hadn’t known it would be almost seven years later. He had actually thought that it would be later, that he would have more places in the galaxy to go before coming back. However, a literal run-in with a freighter pilot heading for Jedha had been a sure sign as any that he should return.

Now, he walks through the meandering streets of Jedha City, refamiliarizing himself with the city. He doesn’t need a guide; even without remembering the way, he wouldn’t get lost with the way the Temple of Kyber towers above the city. And had he not visited before, he would not have noticed the slightly rushed air to the city’s inhabitants around him. Trying to get all their business done quickly before the monsoons come, he imagines. He almost unconsciously quickens his own steps to match their pace. 

He is surprised to find Grandmaster Lu waiting for him at the Temple entrance, but then on second thought, he shouldn’t have been.

“Grandmaster Lu,” he greets her with a bow. 

“Welcome back to Jedha, Obi-wan Kenobi.” She smiles at him and waves for him to follow her. “Come, you’re just in time for tea.” 

* * *

Grandmaster Lu’s quarters reminds him of Master Yoda’s. While it’s filled with succulents rather than jungle plants, the way it feels, filled to the brim with the Living Force, is familiar. Inevitably, a wave of homesickness hits him, but he has become familiar with it over these long years. He has gotten better at acknowledging the feeling and letting it go, not  _ dismissing _ the feeling but not letting it distract him from the present.

And presently, Grandmaster Lu waves from him to sit at the low table as Sssanttu pours tea into three waiting tea cups. He joins them at the table, gladly accepting the fragrant cup of tea Sssanttu slides his way.

They enjoy their tea in companionable silence for a while before Grandmaster Lu says, “It seems your travels have been fruitful.”

“I...how can you tell?” Obi-wan asks.

“You ssseem more sssettled in your ssskin, if I sssay ssso myssself,” remarks Sssanttu with a hissing laugh.

Grandmaster Lu shoots the Fillithar an amused look before turning back to Obi-wan and nodding. 

“When we first met, you were a lost young man, full of doubts about yourself, about your place in the world,” she says. “That has changed, no? Like Sssanttu said, you are more settled within yourself.” 

“Yes, when I first came here, I was very...uncertain,” Obi-wan agrees. He carefully sets down his teacup. “I’m not sure how much Master Yoda told you about my situation at the time, but my apprenticeship ended rather abruptly. My master pushed for my trials so that he could take on another padawan. While I understood why he did it, and as circumstances were with the Naboo Crisis, the Council deemed me ready for the Trials regardless…”

“His actions were still hurtful and left you with doubts,” Grandmaster Lu finishes for him.

Obi-wan nods. “We didn’t part on bad terms, but we didn’t part on  _ good  _ terms either. And while I passed my Trials, I still felt unready. I doubted my capabilities; I questioned my training.”

Grandmaster Lu hums and remarks, “We are encouraged to question ourselves, because certainty leads to arrogance. But there must be balance, as there must be in all things. If you  _ fixate  _ on uncertainties, the outcome may be just as bad.”

“Yes, and I tended to dwell on my anxieties. When I left the Temple, I knew that becoming a Jedi Ranger was the right choice for me, but beyond that, I was...adrift.”

“And now? What has your time as a Jedi Ranger taught you?” she asks him.

Obi-wan looks out the window, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. Grandmaster Lu’s quarters face a courtyard, where guardians and initiates are often found training, the clack of wood hitting wood or stone usually heard. Now though, surprised shouts followed by running footsteps rise up into the air as rain starts pouring down in sheets from above. 

The monsoons have arrived.

He turns back to Grandmaster Lu and Sssanttu, who had allowed his silence without any impatience.

“Traveling throughout the galaxy, I met old friends, and I made  _ new _ friends, but still, I was often alone,” he tells them. “As the only one standing before those I needed to protect, I didn’t have the luxury to dwell on my doubts and anxieties. There was only what I  _ had  _ to do, and all I had to rely on was the Force and my training. As the years passed, with every incident I resolved and the experience I gained, I learned to truly let those doubts go.”

“And you  _ found _ yourssself,” Sssanttu remarks.

Obi-wan nods. Like they have said, he is comfortable in his own skin in a way he hadn’t been as a padawan or an initiate, full of doubts in himself as he had been back then. Now though, he knows as a simple truth, he is a Jedi and will be a Jedi, now and always.

“And your master?” Grandmaster Lu asks.

Obi-wan takes several sips of his tea, allowing himself some time before answering. 

“My apprenticeship with Qui-gon would have eventually come to an end; it just hadn’t ended the way I had expected. And while it took me some time, I have forgiven him. For all his actions before my Trials, they don’t change the significance of the time we spent together as Master-Padawan, of the bond we’d shared. I’ll cherish it and all he’s taught me, but I cannot  _ cling _ to what was.” 

Grandmaster Lu smiles and nods, and to his surprise, pats the hand he has resting on the table. 

“Good, good,” she says. “You have learned, and you have grown. I think you are ready.”

Obi-wan blinks in confusion, looking from her to Sssanttu and back. 

“Ready for what?” he asks.

With only a laugh, Sssanttu leaves the room, disappearing down a hallway, as Grandmaster Lu continues to smile with an amused glint to her eyes. 

“For a new lesson, a new adventure,” she says.

Before Obi-wan can question her further, Sssanttu returns and drops something round and metal into his hand. Obi-wan looks down and finds himself staring at a  _ Jedi star compass _ . 

“Your new adventure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [Jedi star compass](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jedi_star_compass) is featured in [Star Wars Battlefront II](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncpcbu5bSPE).

**Author's Note:**

> More information, snippets, and art for Under the Desert Sky can be found [here](https://atelier-dayz.tumblr.com/tagged/under+the+desert+sky) on my tumblr. The main story is still in the works so it's not ready for posting anytime soon.


End file.
